The Refuge of Sorrow

Mixed Media Assemblage Taxidermy Artdoll

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24″H x 14″W x 14″D    

"The sacrificial suffering is a precious mortal choice.
When love that’s lost is fervent,
it gives the anguish voice.
When misery is sacred
and consumes all other thought,
then sorrow is the refuge
where lessons learned are taught.

In making this piece I was inspired to revisit one of my favorite tales, The Nightingale and the Rose, by Oscar Wilde.

First published in 1888 in his collection, The Happy Prince and Other Tales, The Nightingale and the Rose is a brutally tragic tale of self-sacrifice.

The nightingale so loved the poet in the story that she impaled herself on a white rose to produce a red rose that he wanted. No matter how many times I’ve read the story, it continues to break my heart anew.

See the gallery pages of a Story Box Assemblage and The Bleeding Bird which were also inspired by the story of The Nightingale and the Rose.